Awards, Sep 10, 1998

The following awards have been presented for work in philanthropy, fund raising, volunteerism, and non-profit management:

Community health. The Robert Wood Johnson Community Health Leadership Program (Boston) has announced the 1998 recipients of its annual awards, which recognize individuals who have “overcome substantial obstacles with few resources to deliver quality health care to underserved communities.” Each award carries a $100,000 prize, consisting of a $5,000 stipend and $95,000 for program development. The winners:

— Maria Contreras of Roxbury, Mass., an immigrant from the Dominican Republic who created “Soldiers of Health,” a neighborhood-based human-services and community-revitalization program.

— Joseph A. Dicara of Chicago, a doctor who has created basketball and other recreation and educational programs for children and teen-agers who live in local public-housing projects.

— Nancy Johns Divenere of Winooski, Vt., a mother of a child with cerebral palsy, who has provided advocacy services for families with disabled children and who has worked to change state policies and medical education in Vermont.

— Augustus A. (Tony) Garr of Nashville, a health advocate who has worked to open access to health care for thousands of uninsured and low-income people in Tennessee.

— Sumiko Tanaka Hennessy of Denver, a Japanese immigrant who has worked to expand health services to Asian residents and to ameliorate Latino-Asian gang violence by creating a multicultural soccer team.

— Tim Lefens of Belle Meade, N.J., an artist who has developed technologies that enable severely disabled young people to develop artistic and creative projects.

— Steve Ohly of Milwaukee, a nurse who has developed local health-care clinics where volunteers provide services to homeless, unemployed, and other disadvantaged people.

— The Rev. Kenneth S. Robinson of South Memphis, Tenn., a doctor who provides spiritual and health services in his community, where more than one-half of all residents live below the poverty line.

— Jennie C. Trotter of Atlanta, who has brought violence-prevention and youth-development activities to incarcerated boys and teen-agers and who provides stress-counseling services in inner-city schools.

— Sandra Vining-Bethea of Bridgeport, Conn., a former drug abuser who has created innovative outreach services to bring at-risk teen-agers and young adults to HIV-prevention and drug-treatment programs.

Hunger. Second Harvest (Chicago) has given its 1998 Donor of the Year Award, which recognizes exemplary support of Second Harvest and its 187 member food banks, to the Procter & Gamble Company (Cincinnati), and its New Donor of the Year Award to the Wayne E. Bailey Produce Company (Chadbourn, N.C.). The Award for Grocery Distributor of the Year went to Hannaford Bros. Company (Scarborough, Me.), and the Sponsor of the Year Award went to the Post Cereal Company (New York). The Foundation Support Award went to the W. K. Kellogg Foundation (Battle Creek, Mich.), and the Corporate Support Award went to the Thomas J. Lipton Company (Englewood Cliffs, N.J.). The Central Virginia Foodbank (Richmond) was named Food Bank of the Year. The following food banks also received awards in these categories:

— Agency Relations and Development and Support: Oregon Food Bank (Portland).

— Board Development and Human Resources Management: Foodshare of Greater Hartford (Conn.).

— Community Relations and Coalition Building: Blue Ridge Area Food Bank (Verona, Va.).

— Community Support: Second Harvest North Central Food Bank (Grand Rapids, Minn.).

— Fund Raising: Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County (Orange, Cal.).

— Public-Relations and Awareness Campaigns: Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida (Orlando).

— Technology and Food-Resources Development: Food for Survival (New York, N.Y.).

— Volunteer Programs: Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee (Knoxville).

Non-profit organizations. The National Alliance for Nonprofit Management (Washington) has presented the Terry McAdam Award for the best book about non-profit organizations released in 1997-98 to Thomas A. McLaughlin for Nonprofit Mergers & Alliances: A Strategic Planning Guide, published by John Wiley & Sons. The award is supported by the New York Community Trust.